1.

OXIDES
Name of the compound
Formula

1.
2

Original Colour

Final Colour

Residue

Gas evolved and test

Equation

Oxides of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, zinc, iron and copper do not decompose on heating.
Zinc Oxide
ZnO

Lead Dioxide
PbO2

Red Lead
Pb3O4

White

Chocolate brown

Red

Yellow when hot

White when cold

Yellow

Yellow

Residue turns white on

cooling

Does not decompose (only changes colour)

Eqn: ZnO ZnO
(White) (Yellow)

Yellow residue fuses with

test tube

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Eqn: 2PbO2 2PbO + O2

Yellow residue fuses with

the test tube

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Eqn: 2Pb3O4 6PbO +O2

Mercuric Oxide
HgO

Silver Oxide
Ag2O

Red

Greyish black

Silvery liquid

Silver

GAS =
2.

Silver residue at the

bottom of the test tube

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Eqn: 2Ag2O 4Ag + O2

PRECIPITATE =

CARBONATES
Name of the compound
Formula

Silvery mirror on sides of

test tube

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Eqn: 2HgO 2Hg + O2

Original Colour

Final Colour

Residue

Gas evolved test

Equation

Sodium and Potassium carbonate do not decompose on heating

Carbon dioxide

Calcium Carbonate
CaCO3

White

White residue of calcium

oxide obtained

White

Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and

turns lime water milky
Eqn: CaCO3 CaO + CO2

Magnesium Carbonate
MgCO3

White

White residue of
magnesium oxide
obtained

White

Carbon dioxide
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
turns lime water milky

Eqn: MgCO3 MgO + CO2

Carbon dioxide

Zinc Carbonate
ZnCO3

White

Yellow residue of zinc

Yellow when hot white
oxide obtained which
when cold
turns white on cooling

Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and

turns lime water milky
Eqn: ZnCO3 ZnO + CO2
Carbon dioxide

Lead Carbonate
PbCO3

White

Yellow residue fuses with Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and
turns lime water milky
the sides of the test tube

Yellow

Eqn: PbCO3 PbO + CO2

Carbon dioxide
6

Copper Carbonate
CuCO3

Light green

Black copper oxide

formed

Black

Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus and

turns lime water milky
Eqn: CuCO3 CuO + CO2
Carbon dioxide

Ammonium carbonate
(NH4)2CO3

White

Decomposes on exposure
to air and leaves no
residue

No residue

Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus

and turns lime water milky

Ammonia
Pungent, smelling, basic gas turns red litmus
blue and gives dense white fumes with a glass
rod of HCl acid
Water Vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: (NH4)2CO3 2NH3 + H2O (vap) + CO2
3.

BICARBONATES
Name of the compound
Formula

Sodium Bicarbonate
NaHCO3

Original Colour

White

Final Colour

Residue

White solid sodium

carbonate

White

Gas evolved test

Equation
Carbon dioxide
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to
litmus and turns lime water milky
Water Vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: 2NaHCO3 Na2CO3 + H2O+CO2

Potassium Bicarbonate
KHCO3

White

White solid potassium

carbonate

White

Carbon dioxide
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
and turns lime water milky
Water Vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: 2KHCO3 K2CO3 + H2O+CO2

Calcium Bicarbonate
Ca(HCO3)2

White

White Calcium carbonate

residue

White

Carbon dioxide
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
and turns lime water milky
Water Vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn: Ca(HCO3) 2 CaCO3 + H2O+CO2
Carbon dioxide
Colourless, odourless, slightly acidic to litmus
and turns lime water milky

Magnesium Bicarbonate
Mg(HCO3)2

White

White Magnesium
carbonate residue

White

Water Vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper
blue to pink
Eqn:

Mg(HCO3) 2 MgCO3 +
H2O+ CO2

Note:
4.

Calcium bicarbonate and Magnesium bicarbonate exists only in solution

NITRATES
Name of the compound
Formula

Original Colour

Final Colour

Residue

Gas evolved test

Equation
Oxygen

Sodium Nitrate
NaNO3

Colourless

Pale yellow liquid

Pale yellow liquid

Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a

glowing splinter
Eqn: 2NaNO3 2NaNO2 + O2
Oxygen

Potassium Nitrate
KNO3

Colourless

Pale yellow liquid

Pale yellow liquid

Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a

glowing splinter
Eqn: 2KNO3 2KNO2 + O2
Oxygen

Calcium Nitrate
Ca(NO3)2

Colourless

White residue of calcium

oxide

White

Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a

glowing splinter
Nitrogen dioxide
Reddish brown acidic gas

Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour

Eqn: 2Ca(NO3)2 2CaO + 4NO2 + O2

Zinc Nitrate
Zn(NO3)2

Lead Nitrate
Pb(NO3)2

Copper Nitrate
Cu(NO3)2

Colourless very
deliquescent

White deliquescent

Blue

Salt decrepitates on heating

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
Yellow when hot white White residue of Zinc oxide glowing splinter
when cold
obtained on cooling
Nitrogen dioxide
Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour
Eqn: 2Zn(NO3)2 2ZnO + 4NO2 + O2

Yellow

Black

Yellow residue of lead

monoxide fuses with the
test tube

Salt decrepitates on heating

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Nitrogen dioxide
Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide solution brown in
colour
Eqn: 2Pb(NO3)2 2PbO + 4NO2 + O2

Black residue of copper

oxide

Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
Nitrogen dioxide

Reddish brown acidic gas

Turns Potassium Iodide solution brown in
colour
Eqn: 2Pb(NO3)2 2PbO + 4NO2 + O2
Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter
7

Mercuric Nitrate

Colourless

Silvery residue of mercury

on the test tube

Silvery

Hg(NO3)2

Nitrogen dioxide
Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour
Eqn: Hg(NO3)2 Hg + 2NO2 + O2
Oxygen
Colourless, odourless neutral gas, rekindles a
glowing splinter

Silver Nitrate

Colourless

Silvery residue of silver on

the test tube

Silver

AgNO3

Nitrogen dioxide
Reddish brown acidic gas
Turns Potassium Iodide paper brown in colour
Eqn: 2AgNO3 2Ag + 2NO2 + O2

Ammonium Nitrate
NH4NO3

Nitrous Oxide
White

Completely disappears on
heating

No residue

(laughing gas)
Water Vapour

Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper

blue to pink
Eqn: NH4NO3 2H2O + N2O
5.

HYDROUS SALTS
Name of the compound
Formula

Hydrated Copper
Sulphate
CuSO45H2O

Hydrated Sodium
Carbonate
Na2CO310H2O

6.

Original
Colour

Residue

Gas evolved test

Equation

Blue
crystalline
compound

Greyish white residue

of copper Sulphate.
White anhydrous powder
On strong heating the
residue turns black

Water vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper blue to pink
Eqn: CuSO45H2O CuSO4 + 5H2O

White
crystalline
solid

White anhydrous
White anhydrous powder residue of sodium
carbonate

Water vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper blue to pink
Eqn: Na2CO310H2O : Na2CO3 + 10H2O

Orange

Decomposes with sparks

giving out heat and
Green powder of
forms a green fluffy
chromic oxide
powder

Water vapour
Neutral vapours turn Cobalt Chloride paper blue to pink
Nitrogen
Colourless neutral gas
Eqn: (NH4)2Cr2O7 : Cr2O3 + N2 + 4H2O

Disappears from the

bottom of the test tube
and settles down as a

Ammonia
Basic gas turns red litmus blue and gives dense white
fumes with a glass rod dipped in HCl

Other compounds
Ammonium
dichromate
(NH4)2Cr2O7

Final Colour

Ammonium Chloride

White solid

No residue at the
bottom of the test tube
9

NH4Cl

white solid on the upper

cooler parts of the test
tube

Hydrogen Chloride
An acidic gas gives dense white fumes with a glass rod
dipped in Ammonium Hydroxide
Eqn: NH4Cl NH3+ HCl

Iodine Camphor Naphthalene do not undergo any chemical change when heated, but undergo sublimation
Eg: Iodine crystals Iodine vapour

10